Question

I have a project that adds elements to an AutoCad drawing. I noticed that I was starting to write the same ten lines of code in multiple methods (only showing two for simplicity).

Initial Implementation:
You will notice that the only thing that really changes is adding a Line instead of a Circle.

[CommandMethod("Test", CommandFlags.Session)]
    public void Test()
    {
        AddLineToDrawing();
        AddCircleToDrawing();
    }

    private void AddLineToDrawing()
    {
        using (DocumentLock lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())
        {
            using (Database database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database)
            {
                using (Transaction transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())//Start the transaction
                {
                    //Open the block table for read
                    BlockTable blockTable = transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;

                    //Open the block table record model space for write
                    BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite);

                    Line line = new Line(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Point3d(10, 10, 0));
                    blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(line);

                    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(line, true);

                    transaction.Commit();
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private void AddCircleToDrawing()
    {
        using (DocumentLock lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())
        {
            using (Database database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database)
            {
                using (Transaction transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())//Start the transaction
                {
                    //Open the block table for read
                    BlockTable blockTable = transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;

                    //Open the block table record model space for write
                    BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite);

                    Circle circle = new Circle(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Vector3d(0, 0, 0), 10);
                    blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(circle);

                    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(circle, true);

                    transaction.Commit();
                }
            }
        }
    }

Injection: This approached removed the duplication of code, but I think the readability is poor.

[CommandMethod("Test", CommandFlags.Session)]
    public void Test()
    {
        PerformActionOnBlockTable(new CircleDrawer());
        PerformActionOnBlockTable(new LineDrawer());
    }

    public interface IDraw
    {
        DBObject DrawObject(BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord);
    }

    public class CircleDrawer : IDraw
    {
        public DBObject DrawObject(BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord)
        {
            Circle circle = new Circle(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Vector3d(0, 0, 0), 10);
            blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(circle);

            return circle;
        }
    }

    public class LineDrawer : IDraw
    {
        public DBObject DrawObject(BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord)
        {
            Line line = new Line(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Point3d(10, 10, 0));
            blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(line);

            return line;
        }
    }

    private void PerformActionOnBlockTable(IDraw drawer)
    {
        using (DocumentLock lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())
        {
            using (Database database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database)
            {
                using (Transaction transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())//Start the transaction
                {
                    //Open the block table for read
                    BlockTable blockTable = transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;

                    //Open the block table record model space for write
                    BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite);

                    DBObject newObject = drawer.DrawObject(blockTableRecord);

                    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(newObject, true);

                    transaction.Commit();
                }
            }
        }
    }

Injecting Func<>: This seemed to give me a similar result, with better readability.

[CommandMethod("Test", CommandFlags.Session)]
    public void Test()
    {
        PerformActionOnBlockTable(AddLineToDrawing);
        PerformActionOnBlockTable(AddCircleToDrawing);
    }

    private void PerformActionOnBlockTable(Func<BlockTableRecord, DBObject> action)
    {
        using (DocumentLock lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())
        {
            using (Database database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database)
            {
                using (Transaction transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())//Start the transaction
                {
                    //Open the block table for read
                    BlockTable blockTable = transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;

                    //Open the block table record model space for write
                    BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite);

                    DBObject newObject = action(blockTableRecord);

                    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(newObject, true);

                    transaction.Commit();
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private DBObject AddLineToDrawing(BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord)
    {
        Line line = new Line(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Point3d(10, 10, 0));
        blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(line);

        return line;
    }

    private DBObject AddCircleToDrawing(BlockTableRecord blockTableRecord)
    {
        Circle circle = new Circle(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Vector3d(0, 0, 0), 10);
        blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(circle);

        return circle;
    }

I can honestly say that I have not done much with DI, so I’m quite new to this. Could any of you more experienced developers give me Pro’s/Con’s of the two different approaches? Is there anything in the last approach that’s a red flag? It seems to be more readable than the second approach. Maybe I’m not even completely understanding injection… Thanks in advance for you input!

Answer 1

You could do a simple refactoring instead of the options you provided:

[CommandMethod("Test", CommandFlags.Session)]   
public void Test() {   
  AddLineToDrawing();   
  AddCircleToDrawing();   
}  

private void AddLineToDrawing() {   
  CreateObjectOnBlockTable(
    new Line(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Point3d(10, 10, 0)));   
}   

private void AddCircleToDrawing() {   
  CreateObjectOnBlockTable(
    new Circle(new Point3d(0, 0, 0), new Vector3d(0, 0, 0), 10));   
}   

private void CreateObjectOnBlockTable(DBObject dbObject) { 
  using (var lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument()) 
  using (var database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database) 
  using (var transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()) {
    // Open the block table for read 
    var blockTable = (BlockTable)transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead); 

    // Open the block table record model space for write 
    var blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite); 

    blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(dbObject); 
    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(dbObject, true); 
    transaction.Commit(); 
  } 
} 

I think this is more readable.

UPDATE: To run special logic, I like the idea of using delegates. I’d refactor the code like this:

private void CreateObjectOnBlockTable(DBObject dbObject) {
  PerformActionOnBlockTable((transaction, blockTableRecord) => {
    blockTableRecord.AppendEntity(dbObject);  
    transaction.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(dbObject, true);    
  });
}

private void PerformActionOnBlockTable(Action<Transaction, BlockTableRecord> action) {  
  using (var lockedDocument = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.LockDocument())  
  using (var database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database)  
  using (var transaction = database.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()) { 
    // Open the block table for read  
    var blockTable = (BlockTable)transaction.GetObject(database.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead);  

    // Open the block table record model space for write  
    var blockTableRecord = (BlockTableRecord)transaction.GetObject(blockTable[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace], OpenMode.ForWrite);  

    // Run specific logic
    action(transaction, blockTableRecord);

    transaction.Commit();  
  }  
}  

(the rest of the code would be the same)

PerformActionOnBlockTable can be reused to run arbitrary logic using the transaction and the block table record.